Add the lime juice, oil, fish sauce, chilis, garlic, and palm sugar to a blender. Puree, till smooth and strain. Set aside in a bowl.

Ingredients for the Salad:

Soy Oil

½ cup flour

1 cup soda water soda water

8 ounces cleaned baby calamari

1 tablespoon shallots, minced

1 tablespoon chives, minced

2 tablespoons mint, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparing the Crispy Calamari and Watercress Salad:

Photo by Thomas Krakowiak

In a heavy pot or deep pan pre-heat oil to 375 F, enough to cover the calamari and watercress. In a bowl, mix together the flour and soda water to make tempura batter, beating the batter vigorously to avoid lumps.

Strain the batter to remove and lumps. In a bowl, coat the watercress and calamari in tempura batter then place in the oil to deep-fry until golden brown in batches, approximately 3 minutes.

Lay on paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the crispy watercress and calamari in a bowl and mix with shallots, chives, mint leaves, salt and pepper, coat with mint and chili-lime dressing and serve immediately.

Spicy Duck Meatballs with Mint Cavatelli and Quail Egg

Serves 4

Ingredients for the the Mint Cavatelli:

½ cup flour

1 tablespoon ricotta cheese

1 egg

1 tablespoon chopped mint

1 teaspoon salt

Preparing the Mint Cavatelli:

Mix all ingredients together in a small mixer. Allow the dough to rest 20 minutes. Roll out using a cavatelli maker/board. Cook the cavatelli in salted boiling water for 1 minute, remove and allow to cool.

Ingredients for the Duck Meatballs:

3 teaspoons olive oil

1 onion, very finely chopped

5 cloves garlic, very finely chopped

1 pound ground duck

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped basil

2 tablespoons Asian chili sauce, such as sriracha or sambal

¼ cup panko

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

3 shallots, sliced crosswise

2 plum tomatoes, chopped

½ cup white wine

8 cups duck stock

8 sprigs fresh thyme

1 tablespoon chopped mint

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

4 quail eggs

Preparing the Spicy Duck Meatballs:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and 3 cloves garlic. Cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes; remove from heat and let cool in the refrigerator. Place ground duck in a bowl, add cooled onion and garlic mixture, plus basil, chili sauce, egg yolk and panko and form into 1 ½- to 2- inch balls. Place meatballs on a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 10 minutes.

Photo by Thomas Krakowiak

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining 2 cloves garlic, 1 shallot, and plum tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add duck stock and thyme and let simmer for 20 minutes. Strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer set over another large saucepan, discarding solids. Place meatballs in the liquid and simmer over medium heat, until cooked through, about 30 minutes.